Mercury readers overwhelmingly describe themselves as happy in annual Big Issues survey

With the ringing in of the New Year, Ivan Jozeljic is one of the 90 per cent of Mercury readers who describe themselves as happy, and one of the majority which is optimistic about the future.

SUN TAS. Ivan and Sammie-Jo Jozeljic with children Jack 3 and Alexandra 8 of Old Beach. Big Issues survey on life in Tassie 2023 launch. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

THE sun is shining, the children are playing, and Ivan Jozeljic considers himself a happy man.

The Old Beach husband and father-of-two is not alone in his optimism, if the Mercury’s Big Issues survey is anything to go by.

Among about 3000 readers who answered our survey, 90 per cent described themselves as happy, and 66.44 per cent said they were optimistic about the future.

The figures reveal Tasmanians are feeling good as they head into 2023, a parameter that shouldn’t be taken lightly after years of Covid-induced business and economic pressure, cost of living strain, and the state’s ongoing housing crisis.

The 90 per cent figure was also a jump from the Mercury’s 2021 survey, in which 85 per cent of respondents described themselves as happy.

The 2023 results have returned to 2020 levels, in which 90 per cent of respondents also returned a “yes” to the happiness question.

Mr Jozeljic was born in Croatia but moved to Tasmania as a 10-year-old with his family, and has lived on the island ever since.

“I love the place, there’s just so much to do, it’s so family friendly, there’s so many walks and restaurants, the cafe scene and beaches, it’s always evolving,” he said.

SUN TAS. Ivan and Sammie-Jo Jozeljic with children Jack 3 and Alexandra 8 of Old Beach. Big Issues survey on life in Tassie 2023 launch. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Jozeljic, 35, said he would “definitely” describe himself as part of the 90 per cent of happy readers.

“It’s that time of year. The sun’s out, spending time with family, catching up with friends you might not have seen for a long time … and seeing the children grow,” he said.

“I’m very optimistic about what the next 12 months are going to bring for our family. We’re such a close-knit family.”

The Big Issues survey revealed 89.18 per cent of respondents said they’d prefer to live in Tasmania than elsewhere.

Some 52.83 per cent of people said they were happy with their job, whereas only 11.18 per cent said they weren’t – with 35.99 responding the question was not applicable to them.

Out of those surveyed, 58.69 did not think it would be beneficial to increase the size of Tasmania’s population.

SUN TAS. Ivan and Sammie-Jo Jozeljic with children Jack 3 and Alexandra 8 of Old Beach. Big Issues survey on life in Tassie 2023 launch. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

There were also 77.39 per cent who felt inequality was growing in Tasmanian society.

However, respondents overwhelmingly felt good about their neighbourhoods – and the people who lived next door.

Some 78.79 responded “yes” when asked: “do you feel like you could rely on your neighbours if you needed help?”

Mr Jozeljic was again one of those who rated their neighbours highly – in fact his family spent New Year’s Eve with the people in his street.

“We have amazing neighbours. I can’t speak highly enough of them, we’ve had progressive dinners with them, we’ve moved around three or four houses, we’ve had street parties with them,” he said.

“We can definitely rely on them, and all the kids play together.”

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Originally published as Mercury readers overwhelmingly describe themselves as happy in annual Big Issues survey